Watching the Ink Flow
by Soot
Summary: Arthur/Ludwig. Meeting on New Years Eve, 1913, a romance develops which, unbeknownst to both, will be put to the test in the years that follow.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Watching the Ink Flow

Summary: Arthur/Ludwig. Meeting on New Years Eve, 1913, a romance develops which, unbeknownst to both, will be put to the test in the years that follow.

Disclaimer: I do not own and never will.

Warning: Slash, don't like don't read.

A/N: I'm had this story on my mind for the past week which has been incredibly annoying since I was staying with a friend in France and could not write. Ironically we met on here! ^^ I did ask her what she thought about the pairing while we were waiting for pizza. Hahahaha. Good times. Anyway, my twisted mind presents to you ...

Chapter 1

New Years Eve, 1913.

Arthur sat amongst his so called friends and chose not to speak. He wasn't going to be tricked into buying everyone drinks again, nor was he going to feel sympathy and back down from his moral position and buy all the drinks again like last time. Why he even chose to go out with the lot of them was something that kept his mind busy. He could only come up with one possible answer.

He now lived in a big, desolate of life house and his parents, though who live nearby, were out the country.

Arthur inwardly groaned. Whoever said wealth brought happiness, lied. He was miserable. For all the money, education and privileges he had, he would give it up in a flash just to have a good friend who wasn't interested in him for his money.

The group he was sat with continued acting the clowns. The more they drank the noisier and more boisterous they became. Arthur looked around the room in a silent, helpless despair.

Someone though, caught his eye.

Arthur's attention had been caught by a silent, seemingly brooding, blonde haired man in the corner. Arthur watched him as he continuously sipped his beer quietly, looking not lost, but out of place. It didn't take Arthur long to realise he wasn't not just from London, but not from England at all. The young man had a serious, almost stern expression on his face but there were moments when Arthur watched closely enough when he saw the features soften and become delicate looking, a smile touching his lips briefly before disappearing on the winds of time, never to return.

Arthur found himself most taken with him. Deciding that his company was becoming too much for him to bear, Arthur politely excused himself though none of them heard him before headed over to make the young man's acquaintance.

"Good evening, is this seat vacant?" Arthur asked cheerfully, clutching his drink in his other hand. The young man he was addressing looked up, a shocked expression flashing across his features before being replaced with expression bordering on annoyance.

"No." The man answered, nearly slipping back into his native tongue but catching himself right at the last second. He mistakenly believed the man stood smiling at him just wanted to have the chair because there was nowhere else to sit at that current time. It didn't matter to him who had the chair, he wasn't expecting anyone.

"I am not familiar with your accent. Where did you say you were from?" Arthur asked politely, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"I didn't say." The man replied back gruffly, his stunning blue eyes occasionally flicking up to see if the Englishman was still there. Arthur refused to be defeated. This young man had caught his attention without having to utter a word, and it wasn't because he was looking desperately for a distraction that he had noticed him.

"Kismet." Arthur breathed.

"What!" The young man's head shot up faster than lightening, leaving Arthur wondering how he didn't cause himself an injury in doing so. A smile quickly graced his lips as he leaned back in his chair and surveyed the other man from his position across the table. Arthur was most entertained with this anomaly. There was something in the stoic, well built might of the man that attracted him like a moth to a flame. Leaning his head on one side, Arthur studied his expression and how his jaw was set before continuing.

"Whatever it is you thought I said, you misheard." He smiled sweetly as he took a sip of his drink. "Come, it is not a crime for a man to keep another company when the latter clearly has none forthcoming. You're foreign; are you hear on your own?"

"If I tell you, will you leave me alone?"

"That depends. The air of mystery that you are shrouded in is a lure to me. I don't get much of that in the circles I belong to by birth. It gets most monotonous and tedious." Arthur leaned forward across the table a little. "Very few don't give me straight answers to the questions I ask. It's admirable you feel yourself in the minority." Leaning back in his chair once more, Arthur pulled out a cigarette and started to smoke, offering one across the table. The young man at first hesitated, his sense telling him to decline, but this new acquaintance sat before him aroused his curiosity. He was speaking with someone who was most certainly above him in station. Relenting, he took one and allowed the Englishman to light it for him. "What is your name?"

"Ludwig."

"Arthur." Arthur held his hand out across the table to be shook. Ludwig watched it for several seconds before extending his own and shaking it solidly. "Allow me to refill your drink." Ludwig watched in amazement as his drink was refilled. He didn't even know this man! He was silently touched though that such a trivial act of kindness would be shown to him. He had been in England now for just over a week, and no one had done what the Englishman, dressed all in green with the bird nest like hair had just done for him. It was then that Ludwig realised that Arthur's eyes matched his suit; a deep emerald green contrast with pale, milky white skin. He even walked with a refined elegance and everything about him from posture to his smile was saturated with wealth and education. Ludwig suddenly felt overwhelmed. Why was this Englishman who had such material possessions and station in the world want with talking to him? He had nothing to compare. How he was dressed was a statement that he owned very little in the world.

"You never did answer my question." Arthur spoke softly as he sat down again. "Where are you from?"

"Germany, Berlin to be precise." Ludwig answered. Arthur noticed that Ludwig's eyes were averted once more. He knew why. It wasn't hard to tell, especially since it happened a lot. It wasn't his fault that his parents ranked fifth in the country for wealth. However, not everyone saw this. Arthur had in fact been quite a lonely child.

"Please, do not think that I am a spoilt little child whom thinks he's better than everyone else because of a privileged birth. Too many make that assumption. Those who do talk to me I wouldn't trust with a can of bake beans. I know why they stay close to me. It's one of the worst kept secrets in London." Arthur smiled, but there was sourness behind his words. He secretly held a hope that he could find a long needed friend that wasn't just out for his money in Ludwig. Ludwig heard it and felt a pang of guilt towards the Englishman because of his own behaviour. He felt that his coldness towards him was unfounded now, though it's always easy to form such a resolve with hindsight.

Arthur felt that the conversation had taken a turn for the worse and attempted to steer it back on course. "Berlin. What brings such a charming gentleman as youself away from such a vibrant city at such a joyous time of the year?"

"Work. I am an apprentice in a heavy industry in Germany. The owner has sent me for two weeks to England to have a tour around the English equivalents. He also said travel would be good for me. Apparently I am a recluse."

"How delightful." Arthur commented, his emerald eyes alight with interest. Ludwig could see by his animated face that he had captured his fascination. "How have you found it so far?"

"Pleasurable ... though I know no one."

"I can rectify that if you wish." Ludwig smiled as a faint blush appeared on his cheeks. Remembering Arthur's implied loneliness, he gracefully accepted such a friendship. "How old are you?"

"21."

"23."

Both chuckled lightly before continuing on in their conversation. They discussed everything that passed through their minds and quickly the hours disappeared. London and Berlin were popular talking points. Ludwig tried to teach Arthur a little German while Arthur complimented none stop on Ludwig's English. Both found they delighted in one another's company and found their families, previous experiences and stories being shared as though they were friends of over ten years.

Arthur looked down at his watch before being struck with a sudden thought. "How are you spending the rest of tonight?" Ludwig gestured with his hands that he hadn't intended much beyond having a drink before disappearing back to his hotel. "Have you seen Big Ben? I intend on going there for when the clock strikes midnight. Do you wish to accompany me?"

"Errrmm ... I do not see why not."

Grabbing his coat and paying for both his and Ludwig's drinks, Arthur looking over his shoulder and saw that he was still not missed, which was an obvious outcome really. Until he was needed to pick up the tab, he was invisible. He could have a stroke and no one would have notice. Well, not tonight. The corners of his mouth were being tugged by a blossoming smile which was born from anticipation and excitement. He felt that he had made the best decision of his life to leave that table when he did and pursue after his captured interest. Looking back to Ludwig, the word kismet reappeared in his mind.

Pulling Ludwig out onto the snowy London street with five minutes left before midnight, Arthur kept his arm linked with Ludwig's as he took off down the street, doing a speed nearer to running than to walking. Ludwig expression quickly turned to a smile as he was dragged behind the determined Englishman. He found it oh so amusing that he had gone from knowing no one to knowing the most eccentric Englishman in London in the duration of one evening.

Large, fluffy snowflakes started to fall from the heavens, which quickly increasing in quantity. Arthur's eyes became like sauces as he looked up and tracked the dancing flakes down to the ground as he walked. He was grateful that there was no one on that particular street at that time because he would have most certainly have walked into them. Ludwig watched with fascination as Arthur's attention had been side tracked to look up at the snow before returning his attention to where he was going. The pavement was quickly becoming deeper in snow underfoot as Arthur continued to guide Ludwig through the maze of streets. The London streets were certainly a maze to get lost in for anyone who didn't know how to navigate them.

Ludwig was confused at first due to the numerous streets they had gone down. He was very misplaced now. However, he was even more confused than before when in the sight of the landmark, he was shoved into a side ally where they were out of sight but they could still see the clock. Ludwig had barely gathered his senses though when Arthur pressed his lips hard against his own, his body slightly trembling due to the cold. Ludwig found himself kissing back with vigour, delighted how the smaller man moaned in reaction. Arthur's lithe body in his arms felt right, spontaneity befriending them both within a few moments of one another. Ludwig pushed himself from the wall and in quick succession had twisted around so as to press Arthur against it, pinning him firmly between himself and the stone wall. Arthur's hands roaming, dishevelling his hair, sent bolts of electricity shooting up and down his spine in rapid succession.

Breaking the kiss for some much needed air, Arthur stood and studied Ludwig threw sparkling emerald eyes. Ludwig was most taken with the delicate blush that had appeared on Arthur's cheeks, though from the cold or from the kiss would never be distinguished. Big Ben struck midnight, marking the beginning of the New Year, 1914, as an eruption went off in the sky above, filling the sky with colour. Arthur watched with a child like glee. Ludwig wrapped his arms around Arthur and pulled his shaking form to him, trying to share a little body heat. Arthur's attention turned from the sky and Big Ben back to him, his smile growing as he went up onto his tip toes to whisper in Ludwig's ear.

"Spend the night with me."

Ludwig looked at him with more than a little surprise written across his features. Arthur's smile though was too much to say no to.

"I would love to." Ludwig smiled before pressing Arthur against him, connecting their lips in a passionate, delicious kiss once more.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you for all the lovely reviews. At least it's not the spellings this time that are the issue. ^^ Oh, and for all 'Allo 'Allo fans, you may just notice that I've stolen a line that was too much to pass up. I am more than a little cheeky that way. ^^

Chapter 2

_Ludwig watched as Arthur moved around the room, his hips swaying hypnotically. Ludwig was sure he was doing it on purpose. He was certain Arthur knew he was watching. Ludwig didn't feel like contesting the point though because, after all, it was true. _

_Ludwig remained in the bed laid on his front while the bed cover covered his hips. He couldn't bring himself to move. He was so comfortable that it seemed criminal to have to contemplate moving, though if getting up and grabbing Arthur to get him back into bed with him would work, then he would in fact move. _

_Arthur was having problems in not letting his eyes trail back to Ludwig every five seconds. The German was breathtaking, especially when his bright blonde hair was ruffled and not slicked back like it was the previous night. Arthur was proud in the part he had played to create a mess of the German's hair. He would be more than happy to do it again. _

_Turning, his hands playing with the draw chord on his green nightgown, Arthur made sure that his every action was exaggerated. Instead of moving his head to one side as one normally would, he tilted his chin up slightly (but noticeably), before running a hand through his hair and making an audible sigh; his expression being one of contentment. _

"_Are you trying to torment me, Arthur?" Ludwig asked lightly, the idea of jumping out of the bed and ravishing him looking better and better every moment. He also wanted that damn nightgown gone. Was it possible to hate an inanimate object for such a reason, and a purely selfish one at that? _

_Ludwig thought it was very possible. _

"_I am being teasing and tantalising." Arthur smiled seductively as his hands lifted the nightgown collar, covering his neck as he pressed his chin down into it. Ludwig watched him with great amusement, taking particular notice of his slender, milk white legs and how the nightgown barely reached lower than the middle of his thigh. Ludwig nestled his head back down into the pillow, never taking his eyes from Arthur. The nightgown covered enough to make him want to rip it back off him because it was committing a crime of atrocity, but it covered nowhere near enough to leave much up to the imagination. _

"_Come back to bed if you are cold." Ludwig replied as an idea struck him. Before Arthur could reply, he had rolled over so he had his back to him, making Arthur pout. _

"_That is very rude." Arthur spoke, irritation tinting his voice. Ludwig made no reply. Arthur exhaled in annoyance before removing the nightgown, allowing it to pool around his feet. Ludwig still made no reply. He didn't even look around. Arthur felt like gritting his teeth. The audacity of the man!_

_Arthur walked forward and stood as though trying to peer over Ludwig. He knew he was smirking, or at least really chuffed with himself, the smug bastard. _

_Without expecting such quick movement from the German, Arthur found himself being straddled on the bed, (though not for the first time), with Ludwig assaulting his neck with his mouth. Arthur moaned as his hands travelled Ludwig's back, his nails occasionally acting as claws on the soft, pale skin when he arched up into the German's touch. _

"_Git." Arthur breathed heavily. "When do you go back, to Germany I mean?"_

"_I go back in a few days time."_

"_Can't you stay?" Arthur asked as he cupped the back of Ludwig's neck and brought his head down; praying silently that his lips could be persuasive enough to swing Ludwig's judgement in his favour. Ludwig smiled a sad smile. _

"_I'm afraid not. When I give my word, I keep it. I cannot abuse my employer like that." Ludwig answered honestly. Arthur found this trait in the German very admirable, thus stopped him from trying to persuade him otherwise. Arthur raised his hand and caressed Ludwig's cheek, his thumb tracing his cheek bone. Ludwig turned his face into Arthur's palm, his own hand coming up and covering Arthur's. _

"_I know you must go." Arthur bit his lip lightly. "I just wish we had longer." _

"_I have a few more days yet." Ludwig kissed Arthur's jaw affectionately. Arthur started to frown. _

"_Can you hear that?" He asked as he strained his ears. Ludwig frowned also before hearing something a little odd too. It was something familiar, but out of place; it didn't belong there. Arthur paled as it became louder. Ludwig realised why. It couldn't be! It was too soon!_

...

Ludwig awoke with a start as mortar shell exploded close him, causing the heavens to rain earth down on him briefly.

The shell hole he was sat in was pitch black. He shivered violently with the cold night air. He was sat in water, but it was either sit in cold water in the bottom of a shell hole or get shot to pieces in no man's land. He personally preferred being a bit cold to being shot, especially considering he was up against machine guns and snipers.

Also, his memories were good at making him forget his current discomfort for short spells.

Ludwig had spent the Christmas truce looking for Arthur. His battalion had been facing the English when the truce had been called, and he had hoped in the shadows of his mind that Arthur would be amongst the men they were facing. This was only in the shadows of his mind; in actual fact he prayed that Arthur wasn't in the war at all but was instead safe in London. He couldn't bare the idea of Arthur dying, his life blood running from his body as he lay with his emerald eyes becoming dull on the fetid, graveolent ground.

Ludwig knew this was more than just a simple fear. Every time he closed his eyes other than to blink, he saw Arthur's broken body stretched out before him. He didn't just see it as a blur or a distant figure; he saw every detail. He saw every dislocated finger stuck up at unnatural angles; he saw the almost gentle and serene stream of blood that trickled from the side of pale lips; he saw each individual bullet hole, the torn khaki fabric stained crimson...

... He saw Arthur's eyes open and close as death sunk its claws into him.

Ludwig would always by this time, not wishing to see what his mind had to show, take himself off to do something, anything, just to distract himself from such thoughts. Sleep was sometimes a little easier. Usually, it would be some variance of the war claiming Arthur, witnessing his blood spill as he became just one more of the ever increasing number of the massacred. Sometimes though, he would be blessed with a cherished memory of their time together. It could be explicit, like the first night they spent together when he had Arthur withering in ecstasy beneath him, or it could be as simple as a shared kiss or the walk they had together through Hyde Park. That memory was always a fond one for Ludwig. The snow was still on the ground and the two of them had to link arms so as not to slide over on the snow that had been compacted by previous walkers.

1914 had turned to 1915. The news that conscription was being seriously considered in Britain had reached Ludwig's ears. Arthur would have no choice but to fight. The nagging thought that Arthur was already dead though refused to leave. He tried to talk himself into seeing sense. The front was huge. What was the chance of seeing Arthur against those odds? Also, did he want to see Arthur? Did he want to know that he was there across no man's land waiting for an attack where he would have no option but to defend himself, even if it was from him.

Ludwig sighed heavily. His mind was awash with thoughts.

Suddenly, a body fell on top of him. Ludwig quickly grabbed the man and pulled him over his shoulder before striking him hard across the face, sending his assailant to the floor. Ludwig refused to allow the man to gain his footing again and leapt upon him, his hand quickly finding his throat. The man started to choke as Ludwig increased his clamp like hold, making the man panic as his throat was being crushed, his hands darting to Ludwig's face in a dire attempt to make him let go. Ludwig, with an intense feeling of disdain and contempt, lifted the man by this neck and slammed him into the side of the shell hole hard.

The man fell still after this and became a rag doll in his hands. Ludwig let him fall back to the ground and was about to try to leave the shell hole and get back to his own line when a flare lit up the night sky and the ground around him, the deathly white colour standing in stark contrast to the shadows thrown by the torn and ground up earth that formed the landscape.

Ludwig felt the breath catch in his throat as he saw the man that had been moments before his enemy.

"Arthur."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Ludwig stared in horror and the now once again pitch black area. With trembling hands, he reached out into the darkness, searching hesitantly for Arthur's body.

_Please, let me have miss seen! Don't let it be Arthur. Let it be someone who looks like him. Oh please don't let it be Arthur! _

His hands found Arthur still in the same position as when the flare had uncovered his identity. Ludwig's fingers fluttered over Arthur's face, brushing along his eyebrows and following his hairline and jaw before trailing down his abused neck and meeting the ruff, coarse material of the British uniform.

Pulling Arthur gently into his lap, Ludwig cradled his still, limp body as hot salty tears coursed down his face. Frightened of howling at his actions, he buried his head into the crook of Arthur's neck, biting down on the Englishman's collar hard. Arthur's skin was cold against Ludwig's cheek, making him despair more that he had done the unspeakable.

Another flare lit up the sky and ground, allowing Ludwig to see Arthur again for a few seconds. The Caucasian skin on his neck was turning black while his lips were parted slightly and his eyes were closed. Ludwig felt desperation clawing at him, making him want to shake the Englishman hard to see if he could initiate a response; a groan, a sigh, anything that would prove to him that he was alive. The idea of causing more injury though was sickening to him.

Also, during the flare, he noticed that Arthur was a Captain. That stood in stark contrast to his rank of private. There was a huge jump in authority.

Hours had passed and Arthur had not moved once. Ludwig was almost wild in his belief that he was cradling the corpse of his lover, his death having come about through the actions of his own hands. Tears that had previously stopped started to fall silently again, forming fast flowing streams down his face. He was so caught up in his grief that it took him a few seconds to register that he had heard a sigh. However, due to his grief, he questioned it.

"A ... Arthur?" Ludwig asked, thinking that he had imagined the sound. His eyes opened wide as he felt Arthur's head move against his shoulder. The movement was slow and lethargic, but it was movement none the less. Ludwig placed a hand comfortingly on Arthur's ashen cheek and in the grey dawn light, he could see Arthur's tired face looking up at him, his emerald eyes shining with happiness. "Ludwig." He breathed before a change came over his expression. "You're crying."

"I am sorry." Ludwig tried to stop the tears from flowing, but Arthur's pitiable appearance reminded him of everything he wanted to forget. "If I had known it was you..."

"But you didn't know it was me." Arthur comforted. "I didn't know it was you. I came upon the shell hole quite by surprise." He raised his own hand up and cupped Ludwig's cheek in an attempt to show that he held no ill feelings towards what had happened.

"I could have killed you." Ludwig swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat as his eyes lingered over his lover's bruised neck, his fingers dancing lightly across the black and purple skin.

"But you didn't." Arthur counter argued, frustration clawing at him because he couldn't make the German see that he had forgiven him.

"Your throat must hurt." Ludwig pressed his lips together hard.

"Just a little sore is all." Arthur answered before sitting up from his resting position against Ludwig's chest. He remained in Ludwig's lap though. It had been years since he had seen his cherished friend, and the thoughts of his death had plagued him continuously. "The war has affected you. You look drawn and tired. You no longer have that glow of youth you had the night we met."

"I could say the same for you." Ludwig replied just as the heavens opened up and freezing rain started to fall, drenching them both. Arthur started to tremble with the cold. Ludwig was also feeling the bite of the cold weather and consequently pulled Arthur to him and held him close to his chest. Arthur wrapped his arms around Ludwig's back, his grip also tight, refusing to let the German go. Both continued to shake as the rain became heavier and an easterly wind picked up, bringing what was soon to be the first of the seasons snow fall. Arthur studied his hands. They were pure white and stiff, the fingers curled in giving them what would have been a sinister look in any other situation. In this situation, it was sorrowful. He refused to let Ludwig go though. He could and put his hands under his arms so to warm them up slightly, but he wasn't yet ready to release his hold.

"We had better wait for dark." Arthur commented as the light chased away the remains of the night around them. "If we get caught out in no man's land in this light, we won't stand a chance. At least at night the dark is our friend." Arthur also had another motive to sit in a muddy shell hole all day up to his hips in water, but he refrained from adding it. Ludwig agreed to the proposal, again for the all the same reasons and, like Arthur, abstained from voicing the latter.

Arthur had a lone cigarette left and they shared it between them. Ludwig could not take his eyes off Arthur's neck, remorse and guilt tearing away at him constantly. Arthur saw this and tried to console him. He was touched, though he never voiced it. He now knew that Ludwig would never purposely hurt him.

Both slept at varying points of the day. Ludwig slept the most having suffered from both disturbed sleep over a long period of time and very little sleep from the previous night due to the conditions of the shell hole. The sleep he did get wasn't a deep, fulfilling sleep like he needed though. Arthur sat and studied the German during these times, a smile present on his lips. He had not changed much at all. Beneath the mud and the dirt, he was still the very same Ludwig that he had met in London all those years ago. Arthur decided in the end to lay down the best he could next to the Ludwig and curled into his side, resting his head on his shoulder, his expression becoming mournful with the knowledge that the war would take them away from one another again.

The day started to give way to the night again as darkness fell across the landscape. It had been a remarkably quiet day in terms of shells dropping and shots being exchanged. Ludwig could not recall any plans about the British lines being attacked by their guns in the near future and the day had proved him correct. Arthur had fallen asleep mid afternoon leaning on him for comfort. He slept quietly and peacefully, making Ludwig's heart hurt. Ludwig couldn't understand what Arthur was doing fighting. When he slept he looked too young and vulnerable to be caught up in such a conflict. He knew looks were deceptive. Arthur had a fiery temper and he had witnessed it on one occasion when dealing with a loud mouthed American by the name of Alfred who wouldn't take no for an answer when he tried to chat him up. Ludwig always kept him close so as to give him as much of his body heat as possible. Arthur's light breathing reminded him of being in Arthur's bed. Ludwig had taken a great liking to watching him sleep. If it wasn't for the mud, the blood, the guns and the death, what he was witnessing would not be so far off from his memory.

Ludwig's keen hearing picked up on voices. His mind instantly flew into action and the conclusion that they could not be found like this was made instantly. A German soldier holding a sleeping British officer in his arms; he was more likely to find a German bullet embedded in his body than a British one if it was discovered.

Quickly shaking Arthur awake, Ludwig pressed his hand over Arthur's mouth to stop any name calling and protests that he knew would come before whispering urgently; "someone is coming. We must look like the dead." Arthur nodded his head to show his understanding before shuffling a short distance away and, laying on his front with his head pointing at the bottom of the shell hole and his feet pointing towards the rim, Arthur became still, mimicking the dead. He even went as far as to point one of his legs out at an unusual angle that would quickly become quite uncomfortable and rub mud down one side of his face and hair as though he had fallen into the shell hole and travelled down it head first. It was very convincing. Ludwig did the same, keeping himself partly submerged in the water collected at the bottom of the hole before hiding his face in the mud to make sure no one with close observational skills could see any colour that depicted life there.

The footsteps stopped on the side of the shell hole and both men silently held their breath. A shot rang out and hit a corpse a short distance away from Arthur. Arthur had heard it and knew how close the corpse was. He controlled himself enough not to physically flinch. Instead, he went cold with fear and he felt his stomach being crushed by a clenched fist that also felt like a lead weight. A few German words were exchanged before the footsteps receded again. Arthur raised his head slightly after the footsteps had died away, his fingers sinking into the mud to stop him from sliding down into the water. Ludwig also looked up, his eyes darting to Arthur in fear that he had been the one to have received the bullet. Seeing Arthur look back at him though reassured him it was not the case.

Moving themselves back together, Ludwig could no longer suppress the need he felt to show Arthur how much he meant to him. Ludwig grabbed Arthur and, forcing him down so that his back was resting on the muddy slope, proceeded to kiss him breathless.

Arthur was responsive to this and kissed back with equal passion. Both tried to express everything they could that had been bottled up since their last meeting, which was also their first. The mud on their faces from pretending to be corpses transferred onto the others where clean skin was to be found. The kiss intensified as neither wanted to give up the possibility of dominance, their tongues entwining as their hands gripped one another's hair and clothing hard. Air was eventually needed to the extent that the kiss had to be broken, their chests heaving as they fought to regain their breath.

"Meet me back here tomorrow night." Arthur broke the silence that had fallen between them since their narrow escape.

"The risks we would have to run ..."

"Fuck the risks. This damn war has deprived me of you! I thought you were dead, killed in one of the battles or from an infected injury. Now you're here, but still too far! I can never obtain you! Everything goes against us! I say sitting for an hour in your company is worth the risks of having an English bullet tear through my heart!"

"Don't speak like that Arthur." Ludwig cut him off mid justification, horrified.

"It's true though." Arthur insisted before his voice took on a lower, almost pleading tone. "Meet me back here tomorrow night?"

Ludwig saw the sincerity on Arthur's face that was quickly fading as the darkness became all encompassing. "Same time." Ludwig agreed.

They shared one last tender kiss before departing. Arthur, with unshed tears in his eyes, crawled out of the shell hole first and started to feel his way back to the British lines. Ludwig didn't watch him go but instead kept his head down. He didn't want to be shot, nor did he want any present, intelligent snipers seeing who he was watching if a flare should go up.

After ten minutes and with no shots fired, Ludwig held his breath as he climbed out of the hole and started to head in the opposite direction to Arthur. His Captain would find it a novelty to see him come back from the dead without a scratch. He had been out in no man's land long enough now for people to start to write him off as dead.

Getting back to his trench, Ludwig could not help but spare a glance back towards the British lines. Little did he know that Arthur had done the same.


End file.
